Zilbermints Gambit

The Zilbermints Gambit, 3...Nge7, sets out to win back the e5-pawn by bringing the knight to g6 instead of using the queen as in the 3...Qe7 main line. Keeping the queen off e7 spares Black the cramped kingside development that hampers the main line. The cost is two tempi spent on the knight maneuver, and a knight on g6 is exposed to harassment. The line is named after the American player Lev D. Zilbermints, who published his analysis in Blackmar Diemer Gambit World. Stefan Bücker later extended it in Kaissiber.

Gary Lane recommends 4. Bf4, the most frequent reply. After 4...Ng6 5. Bg3, Black can choose 5...Bc5 or 5...Qe7 6. Nc3 Qb4, attacking b2. White's main tries are then 7. Rb1, 7. Qd2 and 7. a3, and the last two lead to tangled play. Against 4. Bg5, Black equalizes comfortably with 4...h6 5. Bh4 g5 6. Bg3 Nf5. The most testing reply is 4. Nc3. The natural 4...Ng6 then fails to 5. Bg5 Be7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Nd5, so Black may have to settle for 4...h6. Engines consider White clearly better, but online results are close to even.